The first scientific research took place in 1969 and was published in 1970 in Science Magazine (which is one of the world's top academic journals). By my latest count, there have been 340 peer-reviewed articles published on TM, many of which have appeared in highly respected journals. For those unfamiliar with scientific publishing, peer-reviewed means that each article is subjected to scrutiny by independent reviewers who are authorities in their field. - Dr Norman Rosenthal in Transcendence: Healing and Transformation through Transcendental Meditation, 2011, p14.

“John would have been the first one now, if he had been there, to recognise and acknowledge what Maharishi has done for the world and appreciate it" - Yoko Ono (2008) "This is one of the few things that has been given to me in my life that has real value to me." - Paul McCartney (2009)" “That was the main thing through the sixties I got into India. I think that was the ONE thing in my life, I could have done without everything else "- George Harrison (1987) "It gives me great pleasure to be part of this evening. I feel the aims of this charity [David Lynch Foundation which raises funds to teach one million at-risk children to meditate] are wonderful!" - Ringo Starr (2009)

"Everybody has a birthright to enjoy abiding peace and unbounded joy, which is the essential nature of his own soul. And I hold that everybody already possesse the capacity of enjoying it, because it is already there in the innermost recess of everybody's heart." -- Maharishi

Meaning of the word Sat Chit Ananda by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Consciousness, The field of all possibilities
Courses for citizens of the age of enlightenment

Preparatory courses for developing sidhis
*
Sixth course

Theme of the course
Higher states of consciousness, Eternal Bliss Consciousness,
The experience of the attributeless absolute

27 August 1970 Humbolt State College, U.S.A.

Transcript :

Question : Maharishi, I have a couple of questions, could you discuss “Sat Chit Ananda”(Satcitānanda, Satchidānanda, or Sat-cit-ānanda (Sanskrit: सच्चिदानन्द) ?

Maharishi :Sat is absolute non changing truth.

(Maharishi seeing someone coming in) Beautiful, now we have all science of creative intelligence. Dr Rains is here. Beautiful, very good, such a joy. Dr Sqall and Dr Migdal have being developing that. Now we’ll incorporate the whole thing.

One point of remarkable interest to us, Absolute is a direct experience to us. Absolute is a living reality to us.

Now, how could Absolute be experienced? The word “Chit”, consciousness, rescues the experience of Absolute. If absolute were not Chit or Consciousness, it could not become a living reality.

You see the point? In being Absolute, if it is being a living reality, it must have some magic in it. Because Absolute flat won’t be a living reality, it won’t be an experience. And because we know, when the nervous system is properly refined, pure nervous system reflects full absolute being : Sat.

So when Sat is reflected in it’s fullness, then that Sat is taken to be having that attribute of Chit – which is Consciousness. Consciousness is with reference to the Self. Consciousness: basis of being conscious. So that consciousness is one with That which is never changing. And by virtue of that attribute, by virtue of the attribute of consciousness, the attribute less absolute becomes a living reality.

When we go deeper into the character of the absolute, Sat. We are able to dig into it, because it is intimate to us, and when it is intimate to us, when it is our consciousness, because it is our consciousness, it could become an experience, a direct experience, otherwise it would not be an experience. And because we know from our own experience that it is an experience, therefore we attribute this attribute of consciousness to the attribute less absolute.

Now, by being an experience, and by virtue of having this attribute of consciousness, the attribute less still remains attribute less. Still it remains attribute less, it remains, it holds on to its absolute unbounded character. And that is why consciousness is equated to absolute. And that is why Sat Chit.

Ananda (Ānanda) is a quality which goes with fullness of life, fullness, ananda (ānanda).

The whole philosophy of ananda (ānanda), and ānanda as the basis of life, as the sustainers of life, and as that ultimate into which everything dissolves. That ānanda is life. The creation is born out of ānanda, is sustained in ānanda, and will eventually dissolve in ānanda, will evolve from ānanda, will be maintained in ānanda, will dissolve in ānanda.

The cycle of evolution and dissolution which continues forever is in ānanda. And ānanda alone is. This knowledge taught by Bhrigu to his son Varuni is located beyond "akasha" (ākās̄́a).

Akasha (ākās̄́a) : space.

Akasha is caracterised by sound. Where ever there is sound, there is Akasha. And when it is located beyond Akasha, it means it is located in the field which transcends sound, transcends speech, transcends tought. If you take awareness to that field of transcendental consciousness, you will know that ananda is all that there is, by direct experience.

This verse of the Upanishads comes out to say about Transcendental Meditation (TM). And establishes that in and out of life is all that one element which is bliss. It speaks of life evolving from ananda. Creation coming out of ananda.

Sustained in ananda. Goes to ananda. The entire field of individual, inception, as a wave of cosmic life is in the field of ananda. Bliss, which is my Self. So, the eternity of ananda is what puts ananda parallel to Sat, never changes. And because it can become a living reality, bliss can become a living reality, this bliss is equated with Chit, consciousness. So, Sat Chit Ananda, Absolute Bliss Consciousness. And because it is ananda, it is fulfiling. Because it is Chit, the absolute attribute less can become a living reality of day to day life.

So this word “Sat Chit Ananda” opens to us the entire philosophy of life. “Sat Chit Ananda” and “That I am”, “That thou art”, and “all this is That”, and “That is It”. This is the story of “Sat Chit Ananda”.

The one point, because Absolute is a living reality, it can be equated with Chit, which is Consciousnes, if it where not consciousness, it could not become an experience, and if it could not become an experience, it could not become a living reality. But we live it, we know it. And therefore, Sat is equated with Chit, and Chit equated with Ananda.

Because when Sat is Chit, it is a direct experience. Then, what is that experience? Next word says, it's bliss. Fulfilling, absolute happiness, this is the experience. Sat is that which never changes, abstract reality, which never changes. That which never changes, non-relative, must be abstract. If it is abstract, can it be experienced ? You say Yes, because it is consciousness. And then if it is conscioousness, can it be experienced ? You say Yes, because it is consciousness. And then if it is consciousness, a direct experience, then, what is that experience ? Bliss.

So, all the enquiery about the abstract underlying reality is solved, is explained by one word : “Sat Chit Ananda”.